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Osnaživanje, stil i inspiracija spajaju se u svakom izdanju našeg magazina.
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December 2, 2025
You have a brilliant idea and a solid plan to bring it to life. The people around you support you, you could probably secure the resources you need, and you’ve been talking about this idea for ages… yet you still haven’t started.
It’s hard to admit even to yourself, but you’re struggling with a mix of fears: What if it doesn’t work out? What if people dislike my idea? What if it pulls me away from my family? How will I handle new responsibilities?
All these questions are normal and even helpful — as long as they don’t trigger panic and anxiety. But once they do, healthy anticipation turns into a brake: a paralyzing fear that sends your project back into the drawer every single time.
If we had to name the biggest obstacle on the road to success, it would be ourselves — more precisely, our fears.
Fear of failure is a well-known enemy of driven women and brilliant ideas that never get realized. We know it’s real, we recognize its signs, and we know how to fight it.
But what if your problem isn’t fear of failure at all?
What if you’re afraid of success?
Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t What if I fail? but What happens after I succeed?
Success is something we dream about, chase, and often shape our entire lives around. So why does it sometimes trigger anxiety instead of excitement?
Because we intuitively know that success is a beginning, not an ending. It brings new responsibilities, expectations, visibility, pressure — and that can feel overwhelming.
Fear of success means being so afraid of the consequences of achievement that you begin to sabotage your own progress. It’s not the accomplishment itself that’s frightening — it’s everything that comes after.
This fear typically takes four forms:
setting low goals, procrastination, self-sabotage, and quitting too early.
If you recognize yourself in these patterns, it’s time to ask a crucial question:
Is fear of success what’s blocking me?
Reflect on the following questions — if most of your answers are “yes,” it may be helpful to speak to a psychologist, because fear of success is most effectively addressed through therapy, including behavioral approaches:
Do you worry about what will happen when you’re in the spotlight?
Are you afraid you’ll lose connection with the people you love if you become successful?
Do the new responsibilities that come with success scare you?
Does the possibility of increased complexity make you anxious?
Do you fear criticism, reactions from loved ones, or social consequences?
Fear of failure (atychiphobia) is an irrational fear of not being able to successfully perform a task. It can be triggered by previous experiences or connected to conditions such as anxiety or depression. It’s especially common among perfectionists with unrealistically high standards.
Fear of failure produces both emotional and behavioral symptoms. Anxiety, avoidance of responsibility, feelings of helplessness, and loss of control are common. On a physical level, it can cause heart palpitations, dizziness, weakness, or shortness of breath.
If you suspect you’re struggling with fear of failure, answer the questions below. If most answers are “yes,” speaking with a therapist is the safest next step — only a professional can make this assessment:
Do you believe you lack the skills or knowledge needed to succeed?
Do you feel you won’t be able to reach your goals?
Do you procrastinate so much that it affects your performance?
Do you tell people you might fail just to lower their expectations?
Do you underestimate yourself to avoid disappointment?
Do you worry that your flaws will make others see you differently?
Are you afraid of disappointing the people around you?
From the outside, fear of success and fear of failure look almost identical. Both lead to procrastination, self-sabotage, and avoiding opportunities. But their core is completely different — and you can spot the difference by looking at the story your mind creates.
With fear of failure, the central worry is making a mistake and facing negative consequences if things go wrong. People fear embarrassment, judgment, or letting others down — which leads to delaying, perfectionism, or never even starting.
With fear of success, the fear is not about mistakes — it’s about what comes after achievement. People worry that if they succeed:
expectations will increase,
their private life will change,
others will react negatively or feel threatened,
they won’t be able to sustain the success,
they’ll lose connection or acceptance.
Success feels like the start of complications. That’s why many people pull back right before the finish line, disappear when they need to step into visibility, downplay their achievements, or create chaos just when things are going well.
The emotions are centered around fear of exposure, fear of change, and fear of greater expectations.
The essential difference?
A person afraid of failure usually never begins.
A person afraid of success begins — but sabotages themselves along the way.
The simplest way to figure it out is to ask yourself:
What scares me the most?
If your dominant thought is:
“What if I mess up?” → it’s likely fear of failure.
If your thought is:
“What will happen after I succeed?” → fear of success is in play.
Don’t let either of them stand between you and the life you want.
Photo: Ron Lach / Pexels.com
